PlanoTim

I’m probably weird -- well, no “probably” about it 😋 – but I like that orange/mango (or whatever it is) drink that they have at the Lido breakfast.  I don’t like the powdered OJ dink they have there, though.

1 hour ago, ninjacat123 said:

And the hours are arbitrary, at least they were when we were on MG Oct 2021.  I would be all ready to have lunch at Emeril's and they were open for breakfast but not for lunch that day.  Then the opposite the next day.  Maybe the hours have become more consistent. 🤞

I thought maybe the varying hours was due to port/sea day differences.  But looking at some Fun Times posted here that doesn't seem to hold true 100% of the time.  I guess we'll just have to remember to keep checking and work Emeril's into our plan.

Thanks for all the info.  I'm really looking forward to trying the food for breakfast and dinner.  In fact I may have to do breakfast there a couple of times since Bananas Foster Crepes, Shrimp and Grits, and Beignets all in one sitting may be a bit over the top.  😁

Tim

We hope to have dinner at Emeril’s on our upcoming carnival Jubilee cruise.  Emeril’s seems to be a counter-service type of restaurant.  I could see no way to reserve a dining time there pre-cruise.  Do we use the Hub app to get in a virtual queue for Emeril’s and they send a notification when we can go order?  Or do we just go there and stand in line?  If so, are the lines typically long?

I would be grateful to hear some experience others have had with this.  Thanks,

Tim

On 3/20/2024 at 11:43 AM, dallasdan said:

I have AT&T and when we are in Mexico I take my phone off of airplane mode and use it like normal.  No extra charges. With AT&T Canada and Mexico are included.  

My AT&T plan used to include just Canada and Mexico - in addition to the US territories.  But a couple of years ago when we got new phones they added all of the Americas - North, Central, & South.

On 3/13/2024 at 10:40 AM, SDPadreFan said:

Since you mentioned an Alaskan Bug - we've had that too. Give some consideration to Carnival's 10 day sailing to Alaska out of San Francisco. We did that and the price was virtually the same as a 7 day out of Seattle. But the same ocean conditions will be present. Rough going north and smooth going south. It will be pretty much the same from either San Francisco or Seattle because both stay out in the Pacific until they get past Vancouver Island. They really only head to the inside passage (and very smooth waters) when they either get close to Ketchikan or Juneau (depending on the first port of call). Late June through early August is the best time weather wise (but priciest). There is one line that does more of a pure Inside Passage run from Vancouver, Canada and that is a Holland America ship. All the others pretty much sail out into the Pacific and around Vancouver Island. Even the ones that leave from Vancouver, Canada (save for that one Holland America ship). I've got my eye on that one as perhaps our next cruise to Alaska (thinking 2026 or later).

But a little bad news for you - once you've gotten that Alaska Bug, most people are stuck with it and return to Alaska again and again. I know we'll be going back. And one more thing to be aware of. Alaska excursions are EXPENSIVE (but very worth it for the most part). But I consider the prices justified because those people only have about 5 months of the year to make money off of tourists and the rest of the time there is very little income coming in for them.

I believe our Viking Ocean cruise from Vancouver took the Inside Passage route from Vancouver.

We did the Tabasco cooking class a couple of years ago and had a blast.  Each pair has a cooking station and you make a few dishes during the excursion.  All the dishes are made with Tabasco.  Afterwards you eat the food you created.

I think we started by making our own margarita.  Then they kept additional drinks coming as we cooked.  If you wanted something other than margaritas, they would gladly make something else for you.  I saw people get soft drinks, beer, pina coladas, etc. 🍹

The ingredients are mostly prepped, so you’re not spending a lot of time chopping onions and such.  The instructor is very entertaining and makes the excursion fun.  It seemed like everyone was having a good time and I saw no failed dishes.

While we were eating our meal, the instructor made a special frozen pineapple margarita – very tasty.  Afterward we were given the option to go back to the port (10-15 minute ride) or hang out at Blu for a while, then be taken back to the port.

We had a great time and felt the excursion was well worth the time and money.

The Mexology class (also at Blu) seems to be organized similarly, but with more emphasis on mixing drinks.  We haven’t done that one yet but will in about 7 weeks.

I hope that helps some.
Tim

On 3/4/2024 at 4:41 PM, dctravel said:

I got credit for a 1989 cruise on the original Mardi Gras. They needed something that proved you were on the ship. After searching through pictures at my parents house, I finally found a picture that showed the date from when we were boarding the ship. Founds lots of other pictures too (including of Carnival's resort in Nassau (the Crystal Palace), now long gone) that we went to for an excursion, but only the embarkation picture had the date.

It was many years ago, but we had a Tropicale cruise (1989?) that didn’t show up on our list of past cruises.  I think all we had was the sail date and a carnival photo of us at the captain’s party.  The photo had the ship name stenciled in the corner.  We provided that information to Carnival and they added it to our past cruises.

2 hours ago, bahacca said:

We haven't sailed since 2018. Do we still need lanyards for our sign and sail cards? I have heard menus are now digital, so you need your phone. If you find you need your phone on you at all times, do you use a phone lanyard, small purse?(Guys, be quiet. Not all of our clothing has pockets like yours!😉)

Sorry, not being quiet. 😋  I don't use a lanyard and neither does my wife.  If I'm with her when she doesn't have pockets and isn't carrying a small purse (clutch?), then I'll carry her phone.  This typically happens in the evening because most of her daytime clothes have pockets.  She sometimes uses a waist-band thingy that holds her phone (especially when jogging).  I've also seen small stick-on card holders that attach to the back of a phone.  She is considering one of those to keep her phone and S&S together.

I wish they would add a Ribeye Cap to the steakhouse menu. 🍴😛

I'm glad you made it.  The surprising part of you story is that JetBlue (or any airline) was willing to book you on another carrier.  It seems like that happens so rarely these days.  Now you can breath a sigh of relief and enjoy your cruise.

Thank you for the review.  I’ve never done the wine pairings in the steakhouse.  Can you please elaborate some on the experience?  Did you get a pairing for the dessert as well (like maybe a port)?  Did you have Cheers or do you know if this works with Cheers?  Thanks,
Tim

22 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

I fully admit it is a character flaw of mine.

I figure our character flaws are what make us interesting. 😀

I don’t really understand when people feel the need to drink more than they may want, just to “get their money’s worth.”  I mean once you buy it, the money is gone, right?  So why not just drink what you want without any concern about coming out ahead?  An assessment after the cruise can verify if Cheers was a good idea, if you are unsure.  That can help you make the decision the next time.  Once I buy Cheers I don’t worry if it was a good decision or try to come out ahead, since nothing can be done about it at that point.  That's just my philosophy about it.

There are a few shops and I think a place or two to get a drink there.  It's not a big place like Cozumel or Costa Maya.  There is a small map of the port area on this web page.  I hope that helps some.

Tim

This site may give you some idea of the average February Weather in San Miguel de Cozumel, Mexico.  I hope that helps some.
Tim

My wife and I did the Tabasco's Chef Maestro: Cooking, Tasting & Drinks, a Carnival excursion, a couple of years ago.  It was really fun.  This spring we're doing the Ultimate Mexology by Jose Cuervo with Lunch excursion, also through Carnival.

We also did the Salsa and Salsa excursion through Viking a few years ago.  It was fun for our group of 8.

Google "carnival-bar-menus-and-drink-prices-2024" and you will find what you are looking for.

Hope that helps,

Tim

I was looking at MALECóN 21.  Does anyone have feedback or experience regarding this place?  Thanks,

Tim

In my experience, the beer selection differs some at the various bars on the ship.

In my experience, the fridges in the rooms don’t get very cold – even if the cabinet door is left open.  I don’t know, but I suspect they are thermoelectric units rather than compressor models.  Maybe they do this to keep costs down or because thermoelectric fridges are quieter or maybe because they require less maintenance.

If I want to chill a beer or wine below cool, I use an ice bucket.  Hope you have a great cruise.
Tim
 

1 minute ago, Saint Greg said:

 

It's not on the menu so I would say probably. But I haven't been on it yet. That menu seems to have less sandwiches and more hot dogs. That makes me wonder if they got rid of Sea Dogs on Jubilee.

Thanks.  I'll be there in a few months, so I guess I'll find out first hand.  But the Jubilee menu looks less interesting to me than the other two.

1 hour ago, Saint Greg said:

 

The sandwich menus are slightly different between the three ships.

 

Mardi Gras

 

 

Celebration

 

 

Jubilee

 

Does this mean that a Ruben isn't available on Carnival Jubilee?

I have seen a post or two recently about a couple of Carnival’s dual-fuel ships leaving their home port late due to refueling delays.  I certainly don’t know if this is related to the ships being dual fueled.  Do dual-fuel ships - powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and traditional marine fuel oil - take longer to take on fuel than traditional ships?  I don’t think this has impacted any itineraries, but I’m wondering if this is an LNG refueling issue?  Can a ship take on LNG and bunker fuel at the same time?  Do dual-fuel ships take on LNG after every cruise?  I believe Carnival has three ships that are dual fuel - Carnival Celebration, Carnival Mardi Gras, and Carnival Jubilee.  Just wanting to understand the new technology better and trying to understand how LNG impacts the fueling of these ships.

16 minutes ago, badgermomof2 said:

Thank you for the info Tim.  

We have a light and small ceramic blow dryer that I suspect won't work.  We'll probably just take the old standby unit on Carnival Jubilee in a few months that we know works on the ships.